New Roots on the Mandevilla

Here is a current picture of the mandevilla i have had in water for 10 weeks now. it is really putting out roots and seems to be going strong! I'll keep you posted.

Merry Christmas from Pinewood Cottage

Every five years or so we put the house on our local home tour. Next year feels like our year. I have always wanted to do a gingerbread copy of the house. This is my dry run for next year. I think it's pretty good.

Mandevilla

We had such great luck with our two mandevilla vines this year, i am trying to keep some to strat next Spring. I took some air layers, and some cutting to root. Of the six cuttings all but one have died. I took the cuttings in late October, and just this week, approx. 8 weeks later my one remaining cutting, has sprung to life with roots! I am so hopeful. I also have the two little air layered plants that started from the mother plant - they are not dead, but they're not growing either. I'll have to keep you posted.

Arum

This is a great plant. It comes from small bulbs in the Fall and then again in the Spring. It last weeks in a vase if placed in a cool spot in the house - such as the front hall. Once the leaves die down then the seeds com from the in-descript calla-like flowers. The seeds look like a "red hot poker." They start out bright orange and darken as they age and then drop. Arum does spread very slowly. It's a great plant.

Air Layering

Recently i have learned the joy of Air Layering plants. I have had great success with the Pink Perfection Camelia in our backyard. I have 12 new plants about a foot and half tall, with buds loaded all over them. Now I've started looking around the neighborhood for other plants i'd like to have starts from - like a child in a candy store. My neighbor has a beautiful red camelia, i think i'll ask him about trying to air layer it this coming spring. It really is too easy!

Chill brings the camelias

One of the joys of living in an old house is having old plants. These are a few of the camelias on our property.

This is why

This is why you need a Red Maple in your yard. You have to love the Fall!

To the right you see the Yellow Jessamine that i have been layering and have 12 baby plants growing like wild fire. Also behind the Red Maple you see my "hobby" - the hedge row. Uh.

Beginnings of the Sunny Border

P.S. - never did find the picture for this - i know it's here somewhere.

Several years ago we had to take out two 101 year old oak trees in our front yard. They were falling apart and only about 3 inches of live material thick but 14 or 15 feet in circumference. They had to go. It took one month and a crew of skilled tree removers - but the yard payed the price. When they left there was not a blade of grass left... a clean slate was handed to me.

Sunny Border

After 21 years as a teacher i cannot have chaos and disorder around me - that goes for the garden as well. I see many gardeners who seem to love the natural wild look. That is just not for me. Symmetry and formal balance that is what I crave. I know that nature could undo all the work in a months time, but is enjoy seeing the physical evidence of my work.